Tuesday

John Anderson, a 14-year-old student at Bridgewater Middle School, recently captured championships in the state and New England tourneys in the 91-pound middle school division in dominant fashion.

Most eighth-graders spend their weekends playing videos games, roaming the mall or hanging out with friends.

Not John Anderson.

The 14-year-old student at Bridgewater Middle School spent this past weekend just like he does many others – packed into his dad’s car for a road trip that always ends with him on a wrestling mat.

While the destinations aren’t always the same – this weekend it was Syracuse, N.Y. – the goals, lofty as they may be, are.

“Right now, I just want to get into a good high school so I can go to college,” said Anderson. “In high school, if I win a state championship, I want to win a New England championship. And then, by my senior year, I hope to win a national tournament.”

The stars are already aligning towards the first part of the goal for the middle schooler as has already been accepted to both, Pomford Academy in Connecticut and Tabor Academy in Marian, Maine.

As for those state and New England titles, Anderson has served notice that he is a force to be reckoned with in that department. He recently captured championships in the state and New England tourneys in the 91-pound middle school division in dominant fashion.

“In John’s 15 sectional, state and New England tournaments, he gave up three points,” said Anderson’s father, Darvin.

John Anderson is looking to follow in the wrestling footsteps of his older brother, Darvin Jr., who placed second in the Div. 1 South Sectionals at 119 pounds this winter with a 30-10 record as a sophomore at Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School.

The younger Anderson is quickly making a name for himself as well after his title at the New England youth wrestling championships in Lowell.

“Going into, it I knew I had a good shot and that anyone can be beaten and if I wrestled my best then I knew I could win,” he said. “ Then in the finals, I had a rematch against a kid I’d beaten before, 1-0, so it was like, ‘Well, I can do this,” and then I ended up winning.”

For Anderson, all those hours spent on the road traveling to all the out-of-state tournaments, and the experience from his consequent matches, paid off with a New England title.

“All these other places, like Pennsylvania or New Jersey, you have kids that have been wrestling since they could walk,” he said. “It’s tough to beat those kids because they’re so experienced.

“Earlier on, I knew I was getting pinned and I was like, ‘I just have to keep doing this.’ Next thing I knew, a couple months later, I was being beating the New Jersey kids and I could stay in the ring with the Pennsylvania kids, so I knew I could (do the same thing) in New England.”

Darvin Anderson, Sr., intends to continue looking for tough competition for John to face on their regular road trips because he believes that is a necessity for any good grappler to succeed.

“We’re going to get him wrestling some superior talent,” he said. “It’s going to up his skill level. It’s going to get him stronger. He’s going to have to catch up to the speed of his game. It’s something every wrestler and boxer has to do to be successful. Everyone in this sport loses. Nobody goes undefeated.”

Added John: “You learn from your mistakes. Once you lose a match, you know exactly what you need to improve on.”

Coached by Matt Smith and Justin Homesly during the season and by Tony Libby during the offseason, Anderson has taken big strides in his 11/2 years on the mat.

His steady progression, however, has been due to more than just his tournament trips as his training regimen includes regular offseason trips to Smitty’s Wrestling Barn in Danville, N.H.

The trips, sometimes two or three times a week even during the school year, are usually made with John studying during the car rides.

“It’s very tiring because I have homework, then I have my regular life as a kid and then I have to juggle all that around with my wrestling,” said Anderson. “Sometimes it’s difficult, but I manage it. Sometimes it’s almost like going on vacation, but it’s like going to work at the same time.

“The part I enjoy about it is that it’s a one-on-one sport, so you can only blame yourself if you win or lose.”

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